September 5

National Payroll Week starts today, making it a good time to remind your staff that their pay package consists of more than take-home pay. Send them a note outlining the total cost of benefits as a percentage of pay. Nationalpayrollweek.com offers a nifty W-4 assistant and withholding calculators.

September 6

Adding to the compensation fiesta, it's National 401(k) Day. Remember, you are legally obliged to be a good steward of your employees' retirement plan, so make sure you understand your plan and the administration costs.

September 8

The National Football League season kicks off with the Oakland Raiders playing the New England Patriots tonight at 9 p.m. EST. Props to owner Bob Kraft, who turned the Pats from a punch line into a powerhouse.

September 9

Darling, with those shoes, you won't ever get an invitation to Fashion Week in New York City, which starts today. This fall, women can wow with cocoon skirts from Marc Jacobs or play it safe with slim 1930s-inspired skirts and blouses from Ralph Lauren. With the return of the three-piece suit, menswear designers are also reliving that dapper era.

September 15

Corporations should file their calendar year '04 tax return (form 1120 or 1120A) and pay any tax, interest, or penalties due.

Today is also the deadline for making final required minimum contributions for calendar year '04 defined-benefit and money-purchase plans (defined-contribution retirement plans that require fixed contributions).

September 18

It's Prostate Cancer Awareness Week. Men over 45 should schedule their yearly, well, you know.

All Month Long

If we had to pick a favorite Founding Father, it would probably be Alexander Hamilton, who became the first secretary of the Treasury in September 1789. To learn more about the man who built America's banking and commerce infrastructure, read Ron Chernow's riveting Alexander Hamilton, now in paperback (Penguin, $18).